Help! Broken Cast Alloy Thingy Under Camshaft Cover

[druid]

Hi guys

I decided to change a leaky rocker cover/camshaft cover gasket on my '85 1.8S Berlinetta Coupe and discovered that the housing bolted to the underside has a whacking great hole in it!

I looked inside the cam housing and no alloy fragments inside so perhaps a previous owner broke something and did not change the broken housing.

Close up showing part number

So a bit of advice:

1) does anyone have a spare housing they'd like to sell me quickly (can do paypal asap)? The part number is: 90128373 with 11120122 written underneath

2) Can I simply pop the broken mount in the car and run it as is until I get a new mounting i.e. is it safe to run the with the current broken mounting car as I'm a bit stuck at the moment?

3) what would have caused the breakage?

I have owned the car for a couple of months and done about 600miles no probs - car hasn't missed a beat.

Thanks for any help or advice.

[rusty321]

i think i should have one, i'm off up the workshop in a bit i'll have a look and get back to you.

[spiney_norman]

If Russ hasn't then I've definitely got one I can take off this afternoon for you

[druid]

Thanks Russ and Rob. I would be indebted to either of you if you could get one in the post for me tomorrow (saturday) then I would have my wheels back for Tuesday with a bit of luck. I could paypal (as 'gift') the money asap just let me know what you want inc. postage.

Russ if I haven't heard back by 6pm tonight, would it be OK to deal with Rob?

Rob, are you OK with this.

Complicated dealing with 2 of you at once, but great to have you both step forward in my hour of need!

[paulmanta]

It is only a flame trap casting, the crank case vents from the top of the rocker cover and it has to have a baffle under the pipe or in cases of very worn engines oil/flames could come out and go unchecked into the inlet and carb.

I suspect the thing was damaged at the factory and has been in the car forever like that, or a previous owner tried to clean out the metal gauze that lives in this casting and dropped it, you need to put a good casting back and if there is a metal gauze pop that in as well.

It is not structural, nor does it represent a big risk driving with the hole in it but if it were my car I would want it to be right and have it fitted.

[spiney_norman]

No worries mate, that's fine with me. To be honest as far as I know the car will run fine without it, looks like it already has for thousands of miles, it's just a housing for the gauze oil filter on the crankcase ventilation system. All it means is that you may burn a little bit more oil vapour through the carb than you would if the gauze filter was in place, it's certainly not unsafe!

[druid]

It is only a flame trap casting, the crank case vents from the top of the rocker cover and it has to have a baffle under the pipe or in cases of very worn engines oil/flames could come out and go unchecked into the inlet and carb.

I suspect the thing was damaged at the factory and has been in the car forever like that, or a previous owner tried to clean out the metal gauze that lives in this casting and dropped it, you need to put a good casting back and if there is a metal gauze pop that in as well.

It is not structural, nor does it represent a big risk driving with the hole in it but if it were my car I would want it to be right and have it fitted.

Thanks fella. I'm like you and like to have things 'right' so i don't want to re-fit the old broken one and would rather wait a couple of days to fit a decent spare that Rob or Russ can suuply.

No worries mate, that's fine with me. To be honest as far as I know the car will run fine without it, looks like it already has for thousands of miles, it's just a housing for the gauze oil filter on the crankcase ventilation system. All it means is that you may burn a little bit more oil vapour through the carb than you would if the gauze filter was in place, it's certainly not unsafe!

Thanks Rob. If I don't hear from Russ by 6pm I'll take your housing if that's OK? Do you reckon you could bang it in the post tomorrow (big ask I know, but would like to re-fit on Tuesday and can't see the sense in fitting the duff one and damaging the new gasket to change it over to a new housing 3 days later).

Thanks fella

[druid]

Thanks fella. I'm like you and like to have things 'right' so i don't want to re-fit the old broken one and would rather wait a couple of days to fit a decent spare that Rob or Russ can suuply.

Thanks Rob. If I don't hear from Russ by 6pm I'll take your housing if that's OK? Do you reckon you could bang it in the post tomorrow (big ask I know, but would like to re-fit on Tuesday and can't see the sense in fitting the duff one and damaging the new gasket to change it over to a new housing 3 days later).

Thanks fella

Hi Rob

Haven't heard from Russ so if you've got the housing I'll paypal you the dosh. I've sent you a pm.

[druid]

i think i should have one, i'm off up the workshop in a bit i'll have a look and get back to you.

Hi Russ

Rob has sorted me out now but thanks very much for offering to help.

You're a gent!